


Make Up Your Mind

by Omoni, PhalinRed



Series: Abovetale [19]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, OC FishlizardChild, OC Goatchild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-09 06:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6893710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhalinRed/pseuds/PhalinRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A chance phone call brings an entire interwoven and complex group down. Spoilers for all of my previous Abovetale stories, as this is the big, big, big one. </p><p>PhalinRed is my copilot for this story, which is fucken awesome. Thank you so much and you are awesome!</p><p>As always, the title and chapter names are all from the amazing song of the same name by Florence + The Machine - excellent to listen to while reading!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Never Thought I'd Be A Killer

It all started - and in a way ended - with a phone call.

When she was about fourteen, Nicky came into the teacher's lounge searching for Frisk, who was a guest speaker and lecturer for that week. It was during class, but Frisk was on a break, and the moment she saw her daughter, Frisk knew she was sick. Her eyes were bright with fever, and her pallour was pale and sickly-looking.

"Mami," she said softly, walking up to Frisk slowly, her steps a touch stumbling. "I feel like crap."

Frisk touched her forehead, unsurprised to find it hot, and reached to her throat to feel for anything swollen - and with a jolt did, on both sides. With growing shock, Frisk looked into Nicky's eyes and saw pain there, dulled by fever but still lingering.

"How long have you felt sick, sweetie?" she asked gently.

Nicky sighed, closing her eyes for longer than a blink. "I dunno," she mumbled, further worrying Frisk. Without another pause, Frisk grabbed her phone and dialled the number for Dr Thicke, hoping she was able to see Nicky within the hour.

That was when it happened.

As Frisk listened to the phone ring, one of the phones in the same room began to ring. She at first shrugged it off, thinking it a coincidence and focussing on Nicky instead, her hand firmly atop her daughter's head.

But when the phone went to voice mail and the ringing in the room stopped, Frisk suddenly got a very bad feeling.

Frisk hung up the phone without leaving a message, then dialled again, this time keeping the phone away from her ear. Again, the ringing in the room started up, almost ring-for-ring matching her call. With growing fear, Frisk slowly walked toward the sound; what sounded like some kind of jaunty theme song. She paused only to redial the number and have it ringing again.

By now, there was no question: it was _not_ a coincidence.

"Mam?" Nicky called softly, sitting down at Toriel's desk tiredly. "What are you _doing?_ Shouldn't we call the _doctor?"_

"I... I am," Frisk admitted, calling a last time and finally finding the source of the ringing: Darian Reden's cellphone.

She grabbed it and stared at it, her whole body going cold in shock. On the screen, as the phone rang, read the display: _"FRISK - FOR DR THICKE"._

"Mami?"

Frisk stared at the phone, letting it ring out. She checked the missed calls, and all of them were labelled the exact same way.

Carefully, she picked up her phone again and decided to call the hospital ER, instead. Before she and Nicky left, Frisk took pictures of Darian's phone before returning it to its place, then took her daughter to the hospital.

* * *

Luckily, Alphys was working at the hospital that day, and took time off not only to see them, but help get Nicky to surgery - tonsillitis - as fast as possible.

When Nicky was finally in the OR, Alphys sat with Frisk (Asriel was on his way), who was now staring at her phone with an odd expression on her face.

"Frisk?" Alphys said gently, startling her into looking over. "Asriel will be here. Don't worry."

"I know," Frisk agreed, her voice soft. "I'm not worried about that. Look."

She handed the phone to Alphys, who took it and eyed it closely. "'Frisk, for Dr Thicke'?" she read, bemused. "Is this a picture of a phone?"

"Yes," Frisk agreed. "Darian Reden's."

Alphys was staring at her, now. "The forensics teacher and former cop?" She blinked. "Wait - where _is_ Dr Thicke? Today is her day off, but if Nicky's this sick, you'd think she'd be here."

"Exactly," Frisk agreed, her voice oddly blank in its soft tone. "Odd, those two things, don't you think?"

Alphys handed her back her phone and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. "It could be a coincidence, or some kind of typo or autocorrect issue."

Frisk looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Alphys sighed, scratching her cheek a bit. "Why does it say 'For Dr Thicke', though?" Frisk asked her.

"Maybe he took up work as her assistant?" Alphys offered, "Teachers don't get paid much, monsters even less, despite how hard Toriel tries. He could be doing extra work to make ends meet."

Frisk sighed. "Maybe," she allowed. It _was_ a possible scenario. "But it still strikes me as odd. Why hide it? She's my doctor. He's a co-worker and a family friend. Why would he keep that from us?"

"Embarrassment?" Alphys offered.

_"Frisk!"_

She stood, arms out already, and Asriel ran into them, hugging her so tight she could feel him shaking. "It's okay, love," she told him softly. "Tonsillitis is pretty easy to fix."

Asriel hugged onto her tight, still shaking. It was actually understandable, considering. Nicky had very rarely even spent time at the doctor's clinic, and never for a surgery. Asriel was a pessimist through-and-through, and always expected the worst. He was in tears, but she didn't mind. She understood.

Alphys stood up and placed a hand on Asriel's shoulder lightly. "She'll be just fine," she agreed.

"Right," he murmured into Frisk's shoulder, his voice thick. "Okay."

Frisk held him close and nodded, kissing his head lightly. "Have you heard from Dr Thicke?" she asked him.

He shook his head slowly. "No. She's not here?"

"I haven't been able to get a hold of her," Frisk admitted carefully.

"But, why?" Asriel wondered, looking up in his surprise. "She always answers the phone, _always._ Even when Nicky was a baby and we couldn't get her to sleep."

Frisk bit her lip. She wanted to tell Asriel about the weirdness that happened to her with Darian's phone, but at the same time didn't want to add more for him to worry about. "Maybe she's just busy."

Alphys was nodding, deciding to play along in order to keep Asriel calm. Right now, that was the most important thing.

* * *

Halfway through Nicky's surgery, Dr Thicke met them in the waiting room, looking very worried and rushed.

Frisk stood up immediately, a jolt hitting her. She was conflicted; she was glad to see her, but the words she saw on the screen of Darian's phone flashed in her memory, and she felt apprehension, instead.

Asriel, however, was at the doctor's side at once. "How is she? Is she okay? _Is she okay?!"_

Dr Thicke put a hand on his shoulder gently. "She's fine. She's just fine. They're almost done, and she's doing well so far. It should be a routine surgery."

"So... she'll be okay?" Asriel repeated softly. At his tone, Frisk stood up and placed a hand on his back. He relaxed.

Frisk met Dr Thicke's eyes, and for a moment, they stared at each other; Frisk felt a sinking in her gut, because she realised that, just maybe, she _didn't_ recognise her. Not really. Which was strange, because her appearance was exactly the same as it always was. She realised it was purely instinctual, solely based on how she _felt_.

"Ambassador," Dr Thicke smiled. "Everything is okay. How are you?"

Frisk forced a smile. "I'm okay, considering. Nicky _will_ be okay, right?"

The doctor nodded.

Frisk then realised what was throwing her off: it was something to do with the doctor's eyes. Whatever she saw, it was gone in a moment, but she knew she hadn't imagined it; she'd seen _something._

"Nicky will be fine. I know you hate hospitals, Ambassador, but rest assured: you and your family are among friends. You're safe."

Alphys was nodding with a smile. "You are," she agreed.

Asriel looked relieved, but Frisk looked back at Dr Thicke, her eyes hard. "Friends," she repeated.

"Of course," Dr Thicke agreed. "We've been through a lot, haven't we? Tonsillitis is pretty easy, considering what you've been through before."

Again, there was... _something_ there, something _off_ , in Dr Thicke's gaze. It tipped the scale for Frisk, and she said, almost sharply, "Dr Thicke, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Dr Thick smiled wider and agreed, but Asriel and Alphys exchanged a confused look.

"Is everything okay?" Asriel wondered, eyeing Frisk closely. She looked bothered by something, he could see, but she nodded despite it.

"Let's go to a spare room and talk," Dr Thicke was saying as they walked. Frisk looked closely at her, but the doctor's face was a perfectly calm smile.

That is, until they reached the empty room, and Dr Thicke's smile faded slightly. She gestured to a spare chair, and she sat on the empty cot.

"Something's wrong," she said simply. "I can tell."

Wordlessly, Frisk grabbed her phone, opened the picture, and handed it to her. "When I tried to call you about Nicky earlier, I found _this."_

Dr Thicke stared at the phone, going pale. "Oh," she said sadly. "I was hoping... I was _really_ hoping..."

She sighed deeply. "Well, alright."

She looked up and met Frisk's gaze, then said, "Stay sitting. You'll need to."

Frisk opened her mouth to say something, but found her words just dry up in her throat. Slowly, as if caught in a movie transition from one scene to another - only far more real, with the smell and feel of raw electricity, and even a few errant red feathers emitting and turning to dust around her form - Dr Thicke shifted from herself - to someone else completely, and not even human.

"Uh," said Darian Reden, now, all semblance to the doctor completely gone. "Sorry, Ambassador. It's sort of a long and complicated story."

Frisk stared at him.

Then, surprising herself, she said, very flatly, "I have time."

Darian sighed, then nodded slowly, looking down at the ground. After a pause, he began, and Frisk, with each sentence, realized just how much of a fool she was.


	2. 'Cause There's So Much To Lose

Darian refused to look at Frisk as he spoke, and as he went on, she began to understand why. Everything he was saying was insane to her, dreadfully ludicrous, as if it were a sick, twisted joke. Yet somehow, she stayed where she was, and listened. She had to.

"Dr Athena Thicke is real," he began carefully. "But she was never actually your doctor. Not for long, anyway. She was your doctor after you were attacked by Sans." He actually rolled his eyes when he said this. "But about a year in, I asked her to take a vacation and let me take over." Frisk said nothing, but she looked confused. "Athena and I made a deal, and I, for the most part, ended up as your doctor."

"When?" Frisk asked suddenly, her voice carefully calm.

"Shortly before you got shot."

Frisk felt odd, then, like she knew for sure that she was not going to like whatever he had to say next.

She was absolutely correct.

"I'd been investigating our favourite convict Carlson for a while," he went on. "Keeping tabs on his activities and whoever he associated with. There had been murmurs in those circles that someone might try to assassinate you, but I..." He winced, still unable to look at her. "I hesitated. I was _so sure..."_

He cut himself off before he could finish the sentence. "In any case, what I thought - counted on, really - would happen, didn't. And, as a result, you got shot. You and Undyne."

Frisk's hands hurt. She didn't even notice how hard she had them clenched in her lap. It was so hard, they shook.

"I didn't know it would happen that way," he continued slowly, his voice softer. "I had really thought..."

He sighed. "Whatever. I hesitated, and you got shot, and so did Undyne. You both got shot because..." He winced again. "Because of me. Because I failed to act sooner."

Frisk was on her feet immediately, fists raised. Darian got to his feet and held up his hands, finally looking at her, as if trying to placate her.

She wanted to slap his hands away. She wanted to slap _him_. He looked as if he expected it from her, too, and seemed unlikely to fight it if she did.

"Undyne, Nicky, and my father... They all could have _died_ because of _you!"_ she shouted, unable to help it. She was shaking.

Darian nodded, but still he spoke. "But... but it worked out in the end, in a way, don't you think?" He spoke carefully, though again, oddly, he didn't seem to believe what he was saying. "Nicky is just fine, and Undyne saved Asgore, and survived, right?"

Frisk actually raised her hand before she realised it, ready to strike him. Once she did, she lowered it, her moves stiff, feeling as if she were fighting herself on it.

"It's okay, Ambassador. It all worked out. We're all okay," Darian concluded softly. "Somehow, it worked out. Right?"

She was still shaking, but she said nothing, did nothing. She just glared at him.

Then, she looked away and turned, going to the door, letting herself out and slamming it behind her. She didn't wait for him. Instead, she stormed back to the waiting room, going right to Asriel.

Wordlessly, in the middle of his talking to Alphys (about Let's Play channels), she leaned over and hugged him, burying her face into his shoulder and shutting her eyes. His arms went around her and pulled her down beside him on his other side, and she clung to him, still trembling. She was barely holding back her tears.

"Love," he whispered to her, holding her close. "Tell me?"

"Later," she whispered back honestly. "I promise, I will."

* * *

Nicky got through the surgery just fine. The moment she woke up, she growled, unable to speak quite yet, and both of her parents knew she'd be fine from that alone. Rotating visits from family and friends took up most of the day and ended up exhausting her, and barely a half-hour after it was just her parents, she was out like a light, fast asleep.

It was then, in hushed tones and finally alone, that Frisk told Asriel everything Darian had told her.

She predicted his reaction perfectly: he got up and snarled a threat, before moving to go exact that threat. She had him back and sitting down in moments, but still he snarled.

"I'll kill him," he said, his eyes blazing hot. "I'll _fucking kill him,_ Frisk."

"And what good will that do, Asriel?" she demanded, exasperated by his anger. She felt it, too, but to want to exact violence was one thing; to go and do it was something completely different.

"Asriel," she said again, her voice softer. He flinched, lowering his head, his teeth bared and his eyes shut. "I'm okay, Asriel."

"No thanks to him," he answered sharply. "You could have died, and Nicky, and..." His face went into his hands, and Frisk slid her arms around him, holding him close to her as he wept gently. "I know," he admitted tearfully. "I know there's nothing I can do now."

"You did all that you could then, and now we're doing wonderfully," she told him softly, offering a small smile. "Nicky and I - and Undyne - are all safe."

Together, they looked at their sleeping daughter in silence, save for Asriel's occasional sniffle. Frisk held him close to her, stroke one of his ears slowly. and he shut his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Love," Frisk said after a moment, noticing that Asriel was nodding off. "Go home and rest. I'll watch over her until you've had enough sleep, alright?"

Asriel opened his eyes slowly. "I'm sorry. It was just... a really long day."

"Get gone," she replied kindly, with a smile. "I'll call you if I get tired before you get here."

"She's okay?" he asked, gazing at Nicky worriedly. Frisk nodded. "Okay. Call me the second anything changes, okay?" She repeated the gesture. He got to his feet, gave her - and Nicky - a kiss, and left, already yawning.

Frisk waited until she was sure he was gone before she said, very softly. "So. Eavesdropping on us again, are you?"

sans slowly moved into the light beside her, looking at least embarrassed - but not by much. "how'd you guess?"

Frisk shrugged, not turning to him, even when he sat down beside her. "I don't know, sans. You always show up when you're least expected - or wanted."

"ouch," sans said with a sigh. "alright, point taken. claws in, please."

"How much did you hear?"

sans hesitated.

Now she turned to him, her eyes landing on his - slightly lined around the edges, tired but not weak, eyes he never got tired of looking into - and those eyes made him finally tell the truth.

"all of it."

Frisk sighed, rubbing her forehead slowly. "And yet you don't seem at all surprised by what you heard."

"i may not know everything, but that?" He grinned. "i know all about _that._ _"_

Frisk suddenly felt a chill, and she turned to him completely, now. sans visibly winced, but knew he was caught, and thus didn't even try to deny it when she said, flatly, "So. It's you, too, then."

He was silent for a long time, so long that she turned away to look at Nicky instead. He did, too. "is nick going to be okay?"

Frisk nodded. "Yes. She is. Despite how much she whines." She smiled a bit, and sans looked away, his eyes darkening for a moment.

"frisk," he said carefully, and she listened. "i have to do something. once it's done, i'll come back and talk to you about it - about _all_ of it. but for now, there's something i need to do first, okay?"

"You're going to do it anyway, so why ask me if it's just going to _have_ to be okay, sans?" she replied, her smile now sad. "Just go."

He sighed this time, getting to his feet and actually walking out the proper door, which surprised her. She frowned, then looked back at Nicky, her hand going to her daughter's horned head gently. Nicky stirred, but didn't wake. That was okay. She was safe. Still safe.

And for Frisk, as long as she lived, always safe.

* * *

"sans!" Toriel smiled at him and gave him a hug. sans returned it gratefully and smiled in return. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" Her face fell. "Is Nicky alright?"

sans nodded. "yes, nick's doing just fine. is asgore in? i need to talk to him."

Asgore popped his head out of the kitchen, blinking. "Howdy, sans!" he called. "I'll be right with you." He ducked back into the kitchen as Toriel ushered sans inside, closing the door behind him.

sans stood in the doorway and chatted with Toriel as he waited, exchanging a few new jokes they'd learnt as well as old favourites they both loved. Over a decade ago, this would have been impossible after what had happened when Asriel had been revived. Now, however, it was as if that horrible event - save Asriel - had never happened. Toriel and sans loved each other too much to allow that to happen.

With dread, sans suddenly wondered what would happen after today. Would he lose her again? Would he lose Frisk? He couldn't fathom either scenario; it was too painful.

"Come to the backyard, sans," Asgore offered with a smile, waving him over, and sans agreed, giving Toriel's hand a brief squeeze before he did. It bemused her, and she stood watching them in silence, hearing nothing, for a long time - find no answers when she did.

Once alone and out of earshot, Asgore stood with his hands behind his back, looking calm and collected. "What's happened?" he asked softly.

sans sighed yet again. He should have known that Asgore would sense something off the moment they saw each other; they'd known each other too long by now.

"it's... bad, asgore," he admitted. "and goes from bad to worse and possibly to worst if we're not careful."

"And what is this bad thing, sans?" Asgore asked calmly.

sans looked down at his slippered feet. "Darian Reden. He just revealed himself to Frisk, I think, as Executioner."

When sans found himself with the tines of Asgore's trident at his throat, he wasn't surprised.


	3. But If I Can't Drink The Water

"Explain," Asgore growled, his voice low and no longer calm.

sans kept very still, well aware of that trident's power. "apparently he's been posing as frisk's family doctor ever since the shooting, and she found out." He paused. "there's more, but please, the trident? it's distracting."

Asgore pulled it away jerkily, the weapon vanishing as quickly as it had been summoned. He still didn't look at sans, though now his hands were clenched behind his back tightly. "How can there be more, sans?"

"he knew about the shooting," sans admitted. "and he didn't stop it."

Asgore was silent, feeling very, very cold upon hearing this. Memories of that day - that whole week - flashed through his mind and kept him mute, the pain from it returning along with them.

 _"Explain!"_ he growled again, his voice sharper.

"he and carlson knew each other. apparently darian found out there was likely going to be a shooting, but didn't tell anyone, nor did he act."

"I knew about Dr Thicke," said Asgore suddenly, his voice hard. "But if it's true, and he knew about the shooting, and knew that Frisk was in danger--,"

"--and you," added sans.

Asgore ignored that. "--then he needs to answer for it."

sans looked up in shock. That tone was not one he'd ever heard before: it was harsh, almost feral in its quality. If he had them, he knew his guts would be tight from hearing it. Instead, he was struck frozen and dumb, shocked.

He'd seen so many sides to Asgore, but this one - the murderer, instead of the usual sage - was terrifying. And sans didn't scare easy.

sans hesitated. He knew he needed to leave, but he needed to make sure. "asgore," he said softly, carefully. "darian hesitated, i think, because... because he expected _me_ to act sooner."

"You?" echoed Asgore flatly. "You had no prior knowledge. You're not what he is, sans."

"no," sans agreed. "but maybe he _thought_ i knew?" He sighed. "everyone seems to expect that of me."

Asgore shook his head, and sans scratched the back of his skull a little. Obviously not everyone, judging by Asgore's reaction.

"i guess my point is, if you can, don't kill the guy," sans said finally. "maybe..." He looked away. "maybe the jig is just up, asgore. maybe it's just time to be done with it all. we're lucky to have lasted this long, don't you think? and do we even need it anymore?"

Asgore's expression was grim. "We've lied to a lot of people we love, sans. For many, many years."

"not lied," sans answered. "just... kept things from them. they'll understand, probably." He winced. "maybe."

"First, though," said Asgore, his voice hard again. _"Darian."_

* * *

That evening, as Alphys was tucking Basket into bed (probably the last year she could without Basket whining that she was too old for that stuff), Undyne got the following text in a font she was sure she deleted from it.

_"the jig is up. tell alphys. frisk will know by tomorrow."_

Undyne stared at the message, her hand over her mouth.

She knew she should probably be furious upon seeing this - and a part of her was, to be fair - but the bigger part, the mother and wife, closed her eye and sighed a long, deep sigh of relief.

 _"Finally,"_ she breathed out. "Final- _fucking_ -ly."

With a grin, she went to the bedroom, ready to finally destroy that last damned wall that had always been between her and her family.

 _Not anymore,_ she thought, grinning. _Paladin, be damned. Not anymore._

* * *

Before Asgore could do anything, save walk sans to the door, Toriel cut him off and blocked him physically from going anywhere. Her face was carefully blank, but her eyes blazed.

"Dreemurr," she said sharply. "I _know_ that look. You're hiding something from me."

Her eyes suddenly became clear, and she moved away from him and ran upstairs. Asgore stood waiting.

She came back with the journal from his youth, and he winced. She held it open, to the place nearest to the back, where several pages had been carefully cut out and removed.

"This?" she said plainly, her eyes still blazing. "Is it related to this?"

He nodded.

"What are you hiding, Dreemurr?!"

He took one of her hands, the one not holding the journal, and lowered his head. "Tori," he whispered. "I promise, this is the only thing I've ever kept from you."

"And what is it?" she asked carefully.

He looked right into her eyes. "The Watchers of the Delta Rune."

When she slapped him, he'd been expecting it.

* * *

Alphys was lying down in bed, reading one of her favourite books, when Undyne bounced down beside her with a wide grin. Alphys closed her ereader and smiled back at her, Undyne's smile always infectious.

"Alphy, guess what?"

"You know I never do," Alphys replied. "Tell me."

"Remember when we were kids, and in history class, they taught us about royalty and all of that boring shit?"

Alphys blinked slowly, unsure if this was related or purely a non-sequitur. "Er..." she managed.

"Remember the stuff they told us about the Watchers?" Undyne went on, sounding urgent as she spoke.

"Uh... Watchers... of the Delta Rune, right?" Alphys blinked again. "Supposedly the protectors of the royal family and the people in secret, right?"

Undyne nodded, looking delighted all of a sudden. "Exactly! How they're secret, powerful, and answer only to royalty."

"Yes..." Alphys agreed slowly, confused.

"Guess what?" Undyne grabbed one of Alphys's hands excitedly.

"I give up," Alphys stared at her wife, utterly bewildered.

"It's real. I'm Paladin."

Alphys froze, her eyes still wide in her confusion, only now slowly they moved to shock. "U-Undyne," she stammered, dropping her ereader into her lap. "You-you're just mocking me, r-right? It-it's not nice..."

But she knew better. She knew Undyne wasn't lying.

"It's not a joke, Alphy," Undyne said, still grinning. "But do you want to know the best part? It's all over now, apparently."

"You're serious," Alphys murmured, her eyes searching Undyne's face closely. "You're s-serious, a-aren't you? The-the Watchers... a-are real, and y-you are... were...?"

"Paladin," Undyne repeated.

Alphys remembered very little of the details of what was taught to her in school, but she remembered that the Paladin was the fighter of the group, the brawn and muscle, a kind of royal soldier that went more along the lines of bodyguard, war leader, or sentry leader. It was the highest role in the entire warrior system of the Underground.

Alphys was unable to help it: her hands shook a little. "You... n-never told me."

She didn't want to accuse Undyne of lying, simply because it wasn't true. Undyne never lied about it because it had never come up. But she had still kept it to herself, through their entire marriage and parenthood together.

It hurt. A lot.

"But now I am," Undyne said, still holding one of Alphys's hands tight. "sans texted me tonight. I have no idea why and I don't care, but--,"

"sans! He's a judge. No... no, no. He's _the_ Judge!" Alphys covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "It was so obviously staring me in the face and I never saw it! Your relationship with Asgore, sans and you sharing a history... oh, I'm such a _loser!"_ She pulled her other hand away and covered her eyes, pushing her glasses up on her forehead.

"Alphy, no," Undyne protested gently, placing her hands on Alphys's shoulders gently. Alphys didn't look up but didn't flinch or pull away, either. "Alphy you weren't supposed to _ever_ know. I was sure I'd be dust with this secret."

Her expression suddenly fell. "Alphy, I never wanted to keep _anything_ from you, _ever."_

Alphys dropped her hand from her mouth. "I..." She sighed. "I..."

"Please, Alphy?" Undyne pleaded, dread filling her. She had hoped telling Alphys would make things better. Now she was terrified she was about to lose Alphys forever.  
  
Alphys lowered her hand away from her eyes. They were dark with hurt, but not hateful. Undyne stared into them desperately.

Wordlessly, Alphys reached up and cupped Undyne's face between her hands. Undyne's expression went hopeful.

"No wonder you always make it through," Alphys murmured softly, smiling a bit.

"Alphy, I'm so sorry--,"

"No." Alphys shook her head. "I know, you don't have to say it." Her eyes narrowed, and she looked away. "No wonder..."

"No wonder?" echoed Undyne.

"No wonder you got shot," Alphys finished, looking very sad. Her hands dropped into her lap and she lowered her head. "It's your _job_ to die for the king."

"No, I did that because I wanted to save Asgore, not die for the king," Undyne answered. "I would have done it if I were nothing but a shit-cleaner, Alphy."

"I understand. I love him, too," she agreed gently. "But it was also technically your job, still."

"I guess so," Undyne said, feeling uneasy about that. "But for the most part, I just do what I can, when I can. Well, I _did."_

Alphys hugged her suddenly, pulling her close. Undyne relaxed in her embrace, returning it and closing her eye in relief.

"I won't lie, Undyne," Alphys whispered. "It-it hurts. But I-I'm glad you t-told me."

"I'm sorry," Undyne whispered, meaning it.

"I know, and it's okay." Alphys paused, then pulled away, bemused. "So, it's over? You can only tell me because it's over?"

"Yep, and I don't why and don't care." Undyne sighed. "Honestly, it's a relief. I'll always protect Asgore, but I hate keeping secrets from anyone, most of all you."

"Well, we should find out, still, don't you think?"

Undyne nodded. "Let's find out why, together, then."


	4. What Else Can I Do?

Asriel had just come by to take over the night watch for Nicky when sans walked back in, scaring Asriel into yelping out, "Fucking _gah?!"_ and jumping in front of Frisk protectively (which made her smile).

"Oh." He then blushed once he saw who it was, especially when sans grinned at him, clearly amused. "It's _you._ Howdy, bastard."

"sans!" Frisk nudged Asriel to the side. "You're back! What happened? Can you tell me everything now?" Interested, Asriel sat down in the chair again beside her, planning to stick around, now.

sans looked over at Nicky, who was sleeping soundly. "uh, should we do this here? now?"

"She's out like a candle in the breeze," Asriel said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Apparently she's a lightweight when it comes to IV pain medication. She'll be out til morning. Don't try to use her as an excuse!"

Frisk touched his shoulder and said, "Calm down, you're freaking out and it's silly."

Asriel blushed deeper, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away, and she smiled wider. Then she turned back to sans. "Well? What happened? What's going on, and what don't we know, and can we know it now?"

"well," sans sighed, hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet. "i'm sure asriel will recognise some of this from his schooling, but monsters have this legend-not-legend of a thing called the watchers of the delta rune--,"

"Are you shitting me?!" Asriel shouted, sitting up so rigidly in his chair that it looked very uncomfortable. His eyes were wide. "Do _not_ tell me that shit's for real!"

"you didn't know?" sans stared back at him with equal amounts of disbelief. "you always call me 'judge'."

Asriel actually moved his chair backwards from sans, looking almost scared, now (he was). "You're _the_ Judge?!" he demanded, his voice wavering a bit.

Frisk stared at him, then at sans, then back at him. She'd never seen her husband act this unhinged before - not in many years.

"Okay..." said Frisk slowly, trying to stay patient. "Could one of you please explain this to me? Because I don't get it."

"tori never taught you anything about it?" sans asked. She shook her head, and he rubbed his bony forehead slowly. "wow. what an oversight that was."

"She thinks it's bullshit," Asriel admitted. "Always has. I remember that much, at least." He looked at Frisk. "Like how she feels about the Mafia, in the human world." Frisk nodded, something clicking in her eyes at that in understanding.

"i take it alphys probably did, too," sans agreed. (Sometimes Alphys would tutor Frisk in monster history, but had clearly left a few things out over the years.)

"Yes, okay. I get it, I'm an ignorant human," Frisk snapped. "Can we please move on and actually work on fixing that, please?"

Asriel went scarlet, now, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. She gave him a gentle touch on his cheek, but still waited. Asriel looked at sans, who sighed and shrugged.

"right. okay. so. watchers of the delta rune," he began, going into his default lecturing tone, the one he had learnt from Alphys when he used to teach. "there are four who surround the royal family and protect them in secret, in the four major roles that each monarchy needs: a judge, a diplomat, a paladin, and an executioner."

"And you're the Judge?" Frisk asked. sans nodded. "Who are the others?"

"i'm not going there," sans said, his tone oddly sharp. "i'm only confirming myself and one other, and only because he did it himself before i could: darian reden."

Frisk and Asriel stared at each other. "I bet he's the Diplomat," Asriel guessed.

"wrong, weed. executioner."

Asriel jolted, and Frisk stared at him. "That's bad, isn't it? Why is it bad?" she demanded, feeling panic slip through her. "Why is it bad?!"

"The Executioner is that: the killer for the royalty," Asriel explained slowly. "They can kill and not face repercussions for it, if the King deems it acceptable. They're assassins."

Frisk was panicked in earnest, now. She grabbed Nicky's hand in hers, suddenly scared.

She'd let Darian - as Dr Thicke - near her, her husband, her baby girl... and he could have easily, at any time, killed them.

"and they're very, very powerful," sans added. "they're chosen for their power, because only someone with enough lv can make a good executioner." He paused. "to be fair, or unfair, darian... isn't all that good, in a way."

He paused again. "asriel? frisk?"

Asriel was not paying complete attention, as Frisk was now close to fainting. Ever since she got shot, any time she became overly upset, her breaths would short out and she'd either faint or throw up. She was pale, which meant fainting, and Asriel was holding her up by the shoulders.

"Breathe, Frisk," he said sharply. "Breathe!"

She shut her eyes, tilting forward for a moment, before she regained control over her breathing and managed to slow it down. Asriel held her steady, and sans stayed quiet, though his eyes were dim with worry and he had taken several steps forward.

"Insanity." Frisk whispered when she could. "This... is _insanity._ It's a joke, right? You're just..." She looked from Asriel to sans, then bit down on her lip, hard.

 _"Fuck,"_ she mumbled, seeing the truth in their expressions.

The sentiment was shared by all three of them at the moment.

"Go on, sans," Frisk added. Her eyes glinted like steel, suddenly. "I can take it."

"i know," he agreed. "but keep breathing, anyway. you're gonna need it."

* * *

Asgore's greeting to Darian upon his opening the door of his apartment was a swing of his trident.

Darian barely managed to throw himself backwards in time, and he lost several feathers to those sharp tines. Asgore followed him into the apartment, slamming the door, and Darian held up his hands, the trident pointed directly at his neck.

"Is it true, Darian?" Asgore asked softly, his eyes blazing like the fires he wielded. Somehow, the fact that he didn't yell was more terrifying than if he did. "Is what sans told me the truth?"

Darian met his gaze carefully. "What did sans tell you, Your Majesty?"

"That you knew my daughter would get shot and did nothing," Asgore answered, his voice eerie in its softness. "That you set her up that way, because you knew it would push the Treaty forward?"

Darian swallowed, hard. He didn't know how to say what he needed to say, and he was taking to long trying to figure it out.

"Did you set her up?!" Asgore growled, his voice finally rising a bit.

Darian didn't break eye contact, though he desperately wanted to. "Technically... y-yes, Your Majesty. It's true--!"

His voice caught as he threw himself back again, Asgore swinging his trident right for him. Again he lost some feathers. He shut his eyes, reached out to his magic, and held out his hands. Red electricity slid through his fingers and formed into two weapons, one in each hand: a red-bladed sword and a revolver. Asgore merely leaned back, holding his weapon up and out, pointed at Darian again. Darian held the sword up and just barely parried the hit that probably would have killed him had he not. The force of the blow slammed through his body, and it hurt.

Asgore was finally intending to, if not kill him outright, then at the very least hurt him enough to make him _wish_ he were dead.

"King Asgore--!" Darian tried, scrambling to his feet and holding his sword over and across his chest like a would-be shield, his gun carefully at his side. "Please, let me explain!"

Asgore glared at him, his other hand held up and bringing forth bright, hot flames. "Explain what? How you failed me? My family? How you almost got my daughter _killed?!"_

He threw the flames forward, and Darian had to evade them, trying to deflect them with his blade. He did get hit - a bad one - to the shoulder, and he winced, staggering a bit, the acrid scent of burnt feathers hovering in the air.

Asgore swung his trident again, and Darian didn't evade it, nor did he manage to block it. One of the tines grazed his arm, and he dropped his gun, unable to keep hold of it, now. Grunting in pain, Darian realised that he was dead unless he did something and fast.

But his only solution was almost despicable. He felt a tinge of dismay at the thought of even trying it, yet he had to survive this. He had to explain. And he couldn't do that impaled on the king's trident.

The moment he landed on that thought, he was suddenly on his back, his legs having been swept out from beneath him without his even feeling it. He looked up - and suddenly had the tines of the trident at his throat, so close he could feel cold steel beneath his feathers and against his skin.

Asgore glared down at him, his eyes almost crazed with grief and rage, and Darian silently apologised to him.

Then he shut his eyes and shifted, the flash of electricity, feathers, and dust consuming him for a moment long enough for Asgore to be thrown back a step and Darian to change shape.

When the dust settled, there, beneath the tines of his trident, lay Asgore's first human daughter, the one he had failed to save.

Chara.


	5. And Although The Axe Is Heavy

Asgore felt it like a physical blow, seeing his long-dead daughter there, injured by his own attacks and looking terrified of him. He stood frozen in place.

Asgore was not a fool, and he knew Darian's capabilities. He knew, deep down, that he was being _made_ into a fool. But he was already so overcome with grief and guilt that he was blind to the obvious and could only react.

"Chara," he whispered.

"Dad," she said, the voice familiar it ached. She was clearly scared, but also defiant, as if she intended to be scared. "Why are you doing this? Isn't once the limit you can kill someone?"

Asgore felt his blood go cold.

"I'm surprised you don't have buttercups with you for me to eat," she sneered, though she was weeping. She always hated crying, and would be enraged by her own tears.

Asgore dropped the trident, staggering back, his vision blurring. The weapon vanished before it hit the floor, and Asgore dropped to his knees, a hand on his chest.

"Haven't you killed enough children?" said Chara, her voice so sharp it felt like actual knives crafted into sound.

"You..." Asgore stared, trembling in disbelief. "You... Darian, you... Why would you do this? What... what would your _parents_ think?!"

A silence dropped between them at that, Asgore unable to look away from Chara-Darian, the sight so missed, despite the circumstances.

Then, those familiar eyes closed, and in another flash of red, became familiar in a different way, and Darian was himself again. He looked furious, still, his eyes blazing. He stayed on the ground, still hurt rather badly, and he hand a hand pressed to his burnt shoulder, his breaths short from that pain.

"My _parents,_ huh?" he said quietly, glaring at Asgore. _"My_ parents? You mean the ones who saw me as an asset, instead of an actual child? Who saw my talents as opportunity, not unique?" He laughed, the sound hollow. "They wouldn't care!"

"They would," Asgore answered. "They would be _ashamed_ of you, Darian."

"I take that as a compliment!" snapped Darian shortly. "Your _precious advisors_ are the same ones who left me with Iggy to raise by myself. Do they sound like the type to care?"

Asgore said nothing. Darian wasn't even staring at _him_ anymore, but at his hands - especially at his left hand, where he wore a ring.

"For once, I'm going to stand up to you, Asgore," he said. He looked up again, his face furious. "You come into my home, attack me in the place I raised my brothers alone... I'm gonna respond in kind, _Your Majesty."_ He sneered the title, unable to keep the spite from his voice.

Asgore was quiet for a moment, before asking, "You never wanted to be Executioner, did you?"

Darian looked back at his hands. Idly, he played with the ring, a habit he had developed whenever he felt overwhelmed.

"Never," he agreed quietly.

"Yet you did the job perfectly, with no complaints."

"Because it's my _job."_

Asgore stared at him, and he looked up, his eyes still blazing. "And why have you chosen now to expose that job?" he asked carefully.

Darian said nothing for a long time, but Asgore was willing to wait. He felt he was owed at least that much, so if he had to wait for that answer, he would.

* * *

"Have we met the other two?" Asriel asked sans.

"the only one you haven't met is the diplomat, and that's as far as i go," sans answered sharply. "nice try, weed."

"So, we know the Paladin, then." Asriel met Frisk's gaze, both exchanging a look, before they looked at sans and said together, "Undyne."

sans sighed. "smartass kids."

"Oh, come on, sans," Frisk said, rolling her eyes. "If what you say is true, and the whole thing is over, anyway, then who cares if we know?"

"You just like keeping secrets, don't you, bastard?" Asriel smirked.

sans glowered at him. "you're lucky i do, weed."

"You really think I have any secrets from Frisk?" Asriel looked bored by the very idea of it.

"fan club, weed?"

Frisk giggled, and Asriel went scarlet. "Shut up, both of you."

"huh," sans blinked in surprise. "i really wasn't expecting frisk to know. you really do tell each other everything, don't you?" He looked at Frisk. "including superbonk?"

Frisk's smile faded and she went redder than Asriel, who scowled. "Yes," he answered. "Poor taste, sans."

 _"Anyway!"_ Frisk said loudly, waving her hands at them both. "Let's stay on topic, shall we?" She paused, then winced. "Please?"

"yes. undyne is the paladin," sans agreed finally. "but until alphys knows, maybe keep it to yourself?"

"Give us some credit," Asriel answered. "Is there anything else we need to know for the night?" He looked to his wife. "Because if not, Frisk needs to get home to rest. She's been here for hours and it's my turn." Frisk smiled, but she also nodded in agreement; she was exhausted.

"just that darian is in big trouble, and so any desire you may have for a punishment will likely happen."

"I don't want _that,"_ Frisk said sharply. "What are you talking about?"

"Dad," Asriel said with a flinch. "If Dad's found out, Frisk, we've probably seen the last of Darian."

Frisk got to her feet. "I've got to stop him, then!"

sans stopped her. "no, you don't," he said sharply. "trust me on this one, please, will you? darian's smart. asgore is, too." He paused. "you need to rest, frisk, and trust that asgore won't do anything stupid."

Asriel seemed to think about it. "He's probably right, actually," he said, sounding surprised by that. "I rarely agree, but this time? No contest."

She sighed. "Alright." She leaned down and gave Asriel a kiss and a hug, Nicky a kiss, and sans a hug. "Be nice," she added sharply, before turning to go.

When she was gone, Asriel turned to look at Nicky, giving her hand a touch. "Get lost, bastard," he said calmly. "I'm fine. I figured something was weird with you from the moment I met you. It's not so surprising to me as it is for the others."

"did you ever meet the judge before me?" sans wondered suddenly.

Asriel met his gaze and nodded. "You already know."

sans nodded, looking away, his eyes dim. "just checking." He turned to follow Frisk out. "see ya, weed."

"Whatever, bastard," Asriel replied with a small smile. sans waved and was gone around the corner.

Asriel then had a thought, and he pulled out his phone and sent a text while it was still fresh in his mind, certain he wouldn't get an answer until the next day.

* * *

_"sans told us about Undyne. I'm assuming you already know. Are you okay?"_

Alphys stared at the screen of her phone, then she smiled a little. She was awake, struck by a rare case of insomnia, and she got Asriel's message as soon as he sent it. She was watching TV in the living room alone, and this was a welcome distraction.

 _"I'm fine,"_ she lied.

She knew she probably should be honest with Asriel, but she felt better lying. If she told others a lie enough times, she'd hopefully start to believe it herself. 

Because she _wanted_ to be fine.

_"Pretty crazy day, huh? How's Nickname?"_

_"Bullshit,"_ Asriel responded. _"Nicky's fine, but you're not. Why are you awake? People who are fine sleep at night."_

 _"I'm glad Nicky's fine."_ Alphys answered, her smile fading. _"I'm just up."_

_"Nightmares?"_

Alphys hesitated. He was actually right. She had fallen asleep with Undyne as usual, but woke up from a nightmare barely an hour later and stayed awake, afraid of more.

If it had been anyone else asking, she would have blown them off with another lie, but Asriel was one of the few people who understood chronic nightmares and the insomnia that comes with them.

 _"Yes,"_ she agreed, but she didn't elaborate. How could she even begin to try and describe what she'd dreamt?

 _"Are you okay?"_ he repeated.

Again she hesitated. Over the years, she and Asriel had become friends, bonding especially over their rather patchworked past as well as similar emotional obstacles they faced.

She wanted to tell him, but the pain was still too raw, too fresh, so instead, she said, _"I don't want to talk about it right now. Can we leave it at that?"_

"Mummy?"

Alphys jumped in surprise and found Basket standing in front of her, rubbing her eyes and looking very small, despite being almost the same height as Alphys, now.

"Basket?" she blinked. "What are you doing up?"

Basket immediately walked over and crawled up beside her, curling right up into her side. "I'm worried about Nicky."

Alphys shoved her phone aside and pulled Basket close, stroking her hair slowly and kissing the top of her head. "Why, Bassy? Nicky is fine."

"Are you sure?" Basket looked up, her eyes dark behind her glasses. "Because people lie about that kind of thing to kids all the time."

"Am I people?" Alphys wondered, and Basket shook her head. "Then I'm not lying, am I?" Basket shook her head again. "Then go back to bed, sweetie."

"Why are you awake, Mummy?" Basket replied, trapping her.

Alphys sighed. "I can't sleep from worry, too."

"Is it Nicky?"

"Not all of it, but some, yes," Alphys admitted with a sigh. "You got me, Bass. What would you like to watch with me?"

Basket lit up. "Really? Really?" When Alphys nodded, Basket said, "Kissy Cutie Two!" so fast, Alphys knew that she'd planned to watch it alone. She didn't understand how her own daughter liked such a subpar sequel, but she was who she was, and Alphys still adored her.

"Fine, fine," Alphys smiled.

Basket got up to find it and put it on, and as she did, Alphys checked her phone for Asriel's reply, which was just one word: _"No."_

 _"Then we talk tomorrow,"_ she answered, before silencing her phone and turning it over.

She hated being rude, but when it came down to it, she'd rather be distracted by Basket than forced to face her deepest fears.


	6. It Just Sits In My Hands

It was Asgore who suggested that they have some tea.

Both were beaten, either emotionally, physically, or both, and they knew that the fighting part of this night was over. When Darian refused to elaborate or even speak, Asgore said, "Shall we have some tea?" And oddly, Darian found himself agreeing.

Darian made the tea, but slowly, his shoulder and arm slowing him down. Asgore offered to help, but the look he got in response - baleful annoyance - stopped him from not only trying again, but from talking at all.

At least, until the tea had been brewed and poured, and Asgore took a sip - and blinked. "This is new. What _is_ this?"

"It's called 'oolong'," Darian said flatly. "Athena's favourite." He paused. "Mine, too. She got me hooked on it."

"It's delicious," Asgore said, meaning it.

A brief silence fell between them. Then Darian said, "It was an accident."

Asgore looked up. "What was?"

"Anyone - least of all Frisk - finding out," Darian went on. "I didn't mean for it to happen at all. But now that it has, I... don't care. I want out."

Asgore looked down into his mug. "I'd be lying if I said I'm relieved to see you - all of you - go. Old habits are the hardest to kill, and having the Watchers always made me feel safe over the years, especially as they are now." He paused. "But I understand. In fact, we haven't needed you in years, not since Carlson was jailed."

Darian nodded, sipping his own tea.

Asgore looked closer at him. "Why didn't you kill him? I would have condoned it."

Darian stared back. "He didn't deserve to _die,_ but to _suffer."_

"Excellent point. Another reason why I'll be sorry to see you go, Darian."

Darian scowled. "I'm not leaving _town._ I'm still a teacher, and--,"

The front door suddenly opened, and there stood the real Doctor Athena Thicke, just having come home from her shift.

"Honey, I brought supper...?"

Her voice trailed off when she saw the mess, then faded when she ran into the kitchen, pale. When her eyes fell on Asgore, they went wide in shock, then flicked to Darian.

Her eyes fell on his shoulder, and she was at his side at once, the food going onto the counter and her attention only on him.

"What happened?" she demanded. She turned and glared at Asgore, who had lowered the mug from his mouth. "Fire magic, I see. _You_ hurt him?!"

Wordlessly, Athena stalked into the kitchen, went to the utensil drawer, and pulled out a steak knife.

Darian leapt to his feet and grabbed it from her hand before she could start forward, her fury - while justified - too much at the moment. "Athena, don't!"

"Why not?" she asked calmly, reaching to grab the knife back.

"Because there's a perfectly good explanation," Asgore offered. "Though I do understand your anger and regret being the cause of it."

 _"You."_ Athena pointed at Asgore. "Shut up for a moment. _You."_ She pointed at Darian, who smiled faintly. "Sit down, shirt off, and shut up."

Both obeyed, the steely look to the doctor's eyes too sharp to even try to challenge. Asgore finally understood why Dr Thicke was always called a 'hard-ass'.

In the silence, Athena cleaned both Darian's burn and the cut on his arm before she bandaged them, her hands gentle but confident. When she was done, she gave Darian a gentle touch to his face, carefully brushing her fingers over soft, feathered skin.

"Don't let him do that again," she whispered, shooting Asgore a glare.

"To be fair," Asgore piped up, "Darian essentially won. I assure you."

"And why were you fighting to begin with?" Athena snapped back.

"Does she know everything?" Asgore asked Darian.

"No," answered Darian, a touch short.

"Do you want her to?"

"What's gonna happen if she does?" Darian answered. "Am I gonna have to kill her?"

Athena snorted at that, and Asgore smiled. "Of course not."

"Okay." Darian took Athena's hand, and she looked back at him. "The thing is..."

* * *

"Mami?" Frisk called as she walked into the house. Though it was, by now, very late, Frisk knew Toriel was still awake, though it was confirmed when she saw the kitchen light was on.

"Frisk?" Toriel's voice was shocked, and she went to the kitchen. Immediately Toriel met her with a hug. "Dear child, is everything alright? How is Nicky?"

"Everything is okay," said Frisk. "Except you, Mami. Papi told you about the Watchers, didn't he?"

Toriel's arms dropped, and Frisk pulled away. "Yes. He told me." She said it flatly, her face carefully blank. "I know everything, now. I hope." Her voice turned to ice by the end.

"I know," Frisk agreed. "It's a lot to take in."

"It is," said Toriel. "Especially after years of reconciliation, of what should have been mutual trust and respect - building back all that had been lost." She looked away, her expression furious - despite the tears in her eyes. "Gone in a single second."

"Mami..." Frisk murmured, putting her hands on her mother's shoulders. "He told you now, Mami. He had to keep it secret, obviously."

"From me?" snapped Toriel. "From his wife, after years - decades - of separation? This is how he rewards my trust?!"

"But, Mami..."

"Frisk," Toriel cut in, her voice sharp. "If everyone is okay, I'd like to be alone." She pulled away from Frisk.

Frisk stood there, her hands still up. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Call me in the afternoon, when I can visit Nicky again, please."

Frisk hesitated, then sighed. "Okay, Mami, but..." She looked at her mother, who was standing with her back to her "Maybe... call Alphys?"

When Toriel turned to question her, Frisk smiled, waved, and left.

* * *

Morning saw Nicky wake up before Asriel, which in turn meant that she faced a choice: wake him up or let him sleep. She was hungry and her throat hurt, but there was something oddly nostalgic about this that comforted Nicky and had her hesitating. So instead, she thought about him.

Nicky adored her papi - there was no question. For as long as she could remember, Asriel was her sun. They were so alike in so many ways, and as Nicky grew older, she noticed that he had also become her friend - and not all children can say that. She depended on him, but she also trusted him. She could talk to him about serious matters and be seen for the young woman she was. It was very rare indeed.

Not to say that Frisk babied or alienated her. Quite the opposite. Frisk was very laid-back when it came to Nicky, but she never felt neglected. Rather, Frisk was just another kind of friend, though she freely admitted that she was closer to Asriel. She always had been.

With a smile, Nicky turned to her father, touched his face, then shoved her index finger up his nose. He jolted awake and snorted, then sneezed. Nicky's hoarse giggles filled the room, and he paused, realising at once what had happened.

Rubbing his nose, he blushed, muttering, "Yeesh, still, Nicky?" Which only made her giggle more.

"Howdy, Nicky!" he greeted finally, sniffling and sitting back down with a grin. "Morning already, huh?"

She grinned at him, nodding. "Hungry," she whispered. She'd been told that she shouldn't talk if she could help it, couldn't resist adding, "Howdy, Papi!"

"Sh," Asriel said immediately, and she made a face. "I'll go talk to the nurse and see if she can get you your breakfast now. Probably more ice cream." She looked thrilled by the prospect, and he laughed.

After he was assured that Nicky would be fed soon and yes, it was ice cream, he came back and hook Nicky's hand. "Pain level?" Nicky paused, then held up four fingers. He nodded. "Maybe after breakfast we can ask them for help with that."

She shrugged; it hurt, but she could live with it.

"Are you up for visitors today?" Asriel wondered. "Basket wants to see you after school today."

Nicky lit up again, even more than she had over the ice cream. She adored her almost-cousin, their age difference meaning less and less as they grew older. Basket was her best friend, and seemed to always have been, even before Basket could talk. Seeing Basket would be wonderful, and she nodded emphatically, making him laugh.

"Both Jilly and Rayoss promised to bring your homework," Asriel continued. She rolled her eyes and nodded. Of course she'd still have to do work. "But probably tomorrow, not today, unless you'd rather they came today, and Basket tomorrow?"

Nicky shook her head. "Basket on _both,"_ she rasped out, her voice as sharp as she could make it.

Asriel eyed her for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. I'll see what I can do," he promised. She grinned and clapped once, and he laughed, ruffling her hair.

When breakfast arrived, Asriel bowed out to get food of his own. He gave his daughter a kiss, and she smiled, already eating. When she waved, he laughed again, unable to help it. She would always find some way to make him happy - always.


	7. When You're Changing Like The Current

Athena took it well enough, though there was a certain twitch in her eye that wouldn't go away. She stared at Darian for a long time, before she concluded, "I'm going to bed. Eat."

She gave Darian a kiss - and Asgore a glare - before she left the room.

"Well, it's late," Asgore said. "Though I admit it's unlikely I'm welcome home at the moment, I should probably be leaving."

Darian sighed. "Stay on the couch, Your Majesty," he offered flatly. "Share some of this dinner with me. I'm sure we'll have more to discuss in the morning."

He was right.

* * *

Alphys went to work with an empty stomach and a full mind. She allowed work to take over both her actions and her emotions, and the morning went by in a tired blur.

She got a text message close to her lunch break, however, that woke her up.

 _"Alphys, I'd love to do lunch with you today,"_ Toriel had sent. She gave a place and a time, and Alphys actually felt herself cheer up a little.

When she still taught, she and Toriel would often have lunch or an end-of-day coffee together, and she'd truly missed Toriel's company.

She accepted, then went to grab her bag, finally able to look forward to something.

* * *

Asgore's back was sore when he woke up, but at least it was after some sleep, so he put up with it. Darian was already in the kitchen, and from the sounds of it was making something to eat. Asgore got to his feet, stretched, then met Darian in the kitchen.

"Thank you for the couch," he said honestly.

"You're actually thanking me for sleeping on that pile of springs?" Darian said, incredulous. "You must have been very tired."

Asgore smiled but didn't deny it. "Did Dr Thicke go into work already?"

"Nah, Athena has a night shift," Darian replied, smiling a little. "Right now, where she's at, she needs as much sleep as she can get, you know? For them both..."

He paused then, his head jerking up, and Asgore was staring at him in surprise.

"Uh, shit," he concluded.

"Oh, golly," Asgore said softly. "No wonder you want out."

Darian glowered at him. "Shut up, Your Majesty. I was going to marry her before she told me!" He held up his left hand and pointed to the ring on it. "This just makes it more solid."

"How far along is she?" Asgore wondered.

Darian slammed a mug of tea before Asgore in reply. Asgore sipped it, waiting, until Darian finally said, "Two months."

Asgore nodded slowly. "Congratulations."

Darian eyed him, checking for sarcasm or the like, but Asgore was being sincere. "Thanks," he muttered, unsure how to take that, really.

Asgore paused, then looked down into his cup of tea. "Your desire for autonomy is granted, Darian. You're no longer Executioner."

Darian started in surprise, dropping the pan he held onto the stovetop. He turned to look at Asgore, who stared back, his face sombre.

"I'm not Executioner?"

"You're not," Asgore agreed. "I think this is just the push I needed to finally start to _trust_ _."_

He stared into the tea, as if looking for answers in it.

"Holding onto the Watchers as a security blanket only makes me look like the biggest fool in history." He sighed. "And it may have cost me everything."

Darian hesitated, then asked, "What do you mean?"

Asgore looked up at him sadly. "Toriel," was all he said.

* * *

Toriel looked terrible. Alphys was shocked by the change in her friend. Toriel's face was drawn, her eyes dark and her hands clenched in front of her. Alphys gave her a hug the moment she could, and Toriel actually hugged back, accepting the comfort freely given to her.

"I understand," Alphys admitted, and Toriel nodded into her shoulder. Gently, Alphys pulled away and led her to the table she had been sitting at, and Toriel sat down heavily, her eyes lowered. When the waiter came by, she gave her order, which Alphys recognised as her 'comfort foods' order.

As they waited for their lunch, Alphys said, "S-so, the W-Watchers, huh?"

Toriel nodded, her hands still clenched together but on the tabletop, now. "Indeed," she agreed softly. "For decades and decades, and he never told me."

"Neither did she tell me," Alphys added, her head in her hands. "And we've been married for a long time, too."

"Decades, Alphys," Toriel snapped suddenly. "After decades of separation, we got remarried, Alphys!" The doctor looked up sadly, nodding. "He promised, no more secrets or lies!"

"He did," Alphys agreed. "But he also needed them, clearly."

Toriel scowled. "Did he need them, or did they cause those problems and forced him to need them?"

"Are you referring to Darian?" Alphys asked.

"Of course I am," Toriel snapped. "Who else? He apparently knew about the shooting."

Alphys's hands dropped from her face. "W-what? What d-did you just s-say?"

"He knew," Toriel repeated. "He knew and didn't do anything. It was an accident, but he still did nothing, and three people almost died."

Alphys felt hot fury fill her. She got to her feet and said, _"I'm going to kill him,"_ before starting towards the door.

Toriel grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She didn't fight it, but she still shook with fury.

"Alphys, do calm down," Toriel said sternly.

"He almost got my wife killed," Alphys growled. "My wife almost died!"

"That same wife who lied to you about it," Toriel said firmly.

Alphys, to her surprise, shook her head. "I know. She did. But she-she could have d-died, and Frisk and Nicky..." She trailed off, her jaw clenched and her eyes blazing.

That was when their food arrived, and Alphys decided to let the food distract her, for now. They ate in silence for a while, until Toriel broke it.

"There has been a lot of lying, hasn't there?" she said softly.

"Secrets upon secrets," agreed Alphys angrily. "And lies told to keep them that way." She slammed her fork onto the table.

"I-I get it," she said sharply. "I know why he n-needed the Watchers, and they _have_ helped, b-but at what cost? N-now we don't trust..."

Alphys's voice broke, and her face fell.

That was what it was: a matter of trust. Toriel's trust in Asgore was already so fragile, and had taken years to return. Alphys had always trusted Undyne, only to suddenly wonder if she should have.

How does one react when the person you've been with for almost two decades reveals that they're someone completely different, and always had been? For even longer than you has known them?

How does one react when the person you've finally forgiven shows you a reason why you should never have forgiven them at all?

"If I were to be honest." Alphys said softly, "had I known he still had them, I likely would have figured out that Undyne was one, at the very least, if not assumed she was Paladin." Her eyes were downcast. "I just wish she'd told me."

"She had no choice, Alphys," Toriel said suddenly, surprising them both. "Asgore told her never to tell, and her loyalty to him usually comes first, and likely always will."

Alphys nodded, unable to disagree.

"No, Asgore is the one to blame, here, Doctor. He's the one who kept it going in the first place. And look how well it's done!"

Alphys smiled grimly. "One of those Watchers killed his daughter, practically."

Toriel glared at her bagel. "Yes, and wasn't even fired for it."

"Though to be fair, Sans can be a good judge when he tries," Alphys admitted. "It's only when it comes to his heart that he messes it all up."

"What do you mean, when it comes to his heart?" Toriel asked suddenly, bemused. "What has his heart to do with being a judge, let alone his attack of Frisk?"

Alphys blushed, looking away. "I-I m-mispoke!" she stammered hastily, stuffing her face full of bagel.

Toriel frowned but decided to let it go - a wise decision, really. "What are we supposed to do, Alphys?" She sighed. "We both love liars."

"B-but they meant well, and they've saved lives," Alphys said softly, her voice muffled by bagel. "Especially Undyne."

Toriel lowered her eyes. It was true. "And I guess, in the long run, it _has_ helped us."

Her eyes hardened.

"But _he knew_ , Alphys. Darian _knew_ about that shooting and did nothing." She paused. "Do you really think Asgore is right? And Darian did nothing because he saw an opportunity?"

Alphys hesitated. "Well, we both know Darian as well as any boss or coworker can," she said. "We know all he really wants is to do what's right."

"Frisk and Nicky almost dying, Undyne almost dying... was _that_ right?" Toriel snapped. "From what I've been told and have seen for myself, Darian has done nothing but screw up his job."

Alphys nodded. It was true. "Then maybe it's good that it's likely all over. Maybe now, that kind of paranoia can finally become history."

Toriel, despite herself, smiled. "We could offer a course on subterfuge and have Asgore teach it."

Alphys smiled in return. "And write the textbook for it, really."

Toriel paused, then placed a hand on Alphys's. "Give Undyne another chance, Alphys. She's earned it. You know she has."

Alphys nodded, then looked up at her. "You should give Asgore a chance, too."

Toriel looked away, her fingers twitching a little before she pulled her hand back. "Yes, well." She sighed. "Let's see if I can stay in the same room without hitting him, first."

"A wise decision," Alphys agreed. "For both of you."


	8. Not On Shore Or Land

_"Nicky!"_ Basket threw herself at Nicky and hugged her tight, crashing into the hospital bed so hard it actually moved a little. The name was also declared in a scream.

"Heya, Bass," Nicky whispered, giving back the hug as best as she could.

"Sh," Alphys broke in sharply. "Don't speak yet. Basket, ask Nicky only yes or no questions." Basket nodded, and Alphys smiled.

Basket made herself comfortable on Nicky's cot and began to talk, non-stop, about what Nicky had missed in school. Nicky listened, grinning.

Undyne met Alphys's gaze carefully, and she said, "Can we talk?"

With a small pang, Alphys nodded, and together they left the two behind, going into the hallway to talk.

Basket fell silent the moment they left, and Nicky asked, "What's going on?"

"Dunno," Basket admitted. "But they're fighting. And it's bad."

Nicky, in response, hugged her almost-cousin tight, and Basket bit her lip, trying to stay calm - but crying a little anyway.

"Go back and tell me about school," Nicky suggested. "What else did I miss?"

Basket obliged, and for a moment, both were able to forget the turmoil so obviously loosened over their lives - but only for that moment.

* * *

"Hey," Undyne said softly.

"H-hi," Alphys agreed, looking down at her hands.

"Ready to talk about it?"

Alphys nodded, grabbing Undyne's hand and holding it tight. She did it for two reasons: to reassure Undyne as well as to keep herself there. She didn't want to run away, but then she never really ever wanted to, especially when she actually did.

Undyne smiled and squeezed her hand in reply. "What was the nightmare, Alphy?" she asked.

Alphys cringed. "It was... bad. It was... really bad."

"I got that, but how bad? I _want_ to understand." Undyne certainly looked sincere. Her smile had faded, but her eye still showed tender warmth.

"Y-you..." Alphys muttered, shutting her eyes tight, her other hand clenched at her side so hard it shook. "You were... you h-had..." She shook her head. She hated talking about her nightmares, because they were always of her worse fears.

"It's okay," Undyne said, and Alphys believed her. "It wasn't real."

"B-but it _w-was,"_ Alphys answered, her grip on Undyne's hand tight, now. "Y-you had... you... _Undyne..."_ Her face fell, and Undyne hugged her. She clung onto Undyne tight, unable to help it. She was crying in earnest, now.

"Y-you got... you were... b-because you wouldn't _listen,"_ Alphys blurted out. "Because it was your d-duty, y-you said. You said it, every time..."

She shut her eyes, the images coming back sharp and clear, now: Every time she defended someone, Undyne would die, her last words always, _"It was my duty,"_ over and over again, Alphys watched her die, until she finally woke up, Undyne - the real Undyne - easing her out of her sleep.

"I would never choose duty over you," Undyne said - then froze, especially when Alphys jerked away, her expression furious.

"Except you _did,"_ Alphys snapped. "For years. Behind my back. And I trusted you to pick me - _us_ \- first."

"I did, and do, Alphy," Undyne protested. "Everything I do, I do with you and Basket first in my mind."

"So you knew you were lying, you knew you were hiding from us," Alphys burst out. "You knew but just felt it was the right thing to do."

Undyne's face fell, her eye bright with panic. She couldn't lie, but Alphys was right, and she _had_ felt it had been the right thing to do.

"Alphy..." she whispered. "Please, don't..."

"How can I trust you?" Alphys demanded. "How can I _ever_ trust you?!"

* * *

"You can't. Clearly."

Toriel was glaring, her hands ablaze, Asgore standing with a few patches of singed fur.

"I _can't?"_ she echoed.

"You can't, no," Asgore agreed sadly. "I betrayed you, and everyone. I lied to you, when I should have been honest and open." He lowered his gaze. "You can't trust me anymore, Tori. And I understand."

Toriel stared at him in shock. That was the _last_ thing she'd ever expected to hear from him. She had expected purple prose and reasons why she could trust him.

This? This made her angry.

 _"You can't tell me what to do!"_ She heard herself snarl, sounding less like a Queen or a Headmistress and more like one of her bratty students - something she barely remembered being once, herself. "You _cannot_ tell me who and who not to trust, Dreemurr!"

"I can't ask you to trust me," Asgore admitted reasonably. "Even if that's all I want you to do." He sighed. "You can't trust me."

Toriel trembled, the fires in her hands sparking just a bit in her indecision. "Dreemurr," she stammered, her voice still furious. "You... you can't be trusted!"

"I know," he agreed.

"You can't be trusted!" she repeated.

To his surprise, when he looked up at her, she was weeping silently.

"You _can't!_ So why...?" She clenched her fists, the fires snuffed out as she did, and she turned away, her teeth biting down into her bottom lip hard.

"Tori...?" Asgore started towards her, and she looked up, her face now agonised. She was confused, and it showed. "Tori, it's okay. I understand--,"

 _"No, you don't!"_ she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "You _don't_ understand, Gorey, you _don't!"_

Asgore's heart raced when he heard her use his pet-name.

 _"Shit,"_ she whispered, reaching up to brush her tears away, her hand shaking.

Carefully, Asgore reached forward and brushed her tears away, and her hand dropped, her eyes closing.

* * *

"I don't know," Undyne whispered. "I just hope you'll give me the chance to earn it back, Alphy." She was shaking, now. "Please, Alphy. Don't... _don't..."_

"I'd _never_ leave you!" Alphys snapped, surprising her. "I must be crazy, but I'd never leave you, _ever!"_

She looked up at Undyne, her expression furious. "But stop hiding, stop lying! I know you meant well, but Undyne, please!"

She reached up and grabbed Undyne's face between her hands, further surprising her. "For us, please? Don't hide anymore."

Undyne bit her lip, nodding. Her eye was already full, and Alphys gently rubbed her cheeks, resulting only in those tears falling free.

"I never _wanted_ to hide from you," Undyne whispered truthfully. _"Never."_

Alphys nodded. "I know," she agreed, and it was true.

Undyne grabbed onto her tight, burying her face into Alphys's shoulder, and Alphys held her close, unable to keep her own tears held back.

"I love you, so much," Undyne whispered, still shaking.

Alphys closed her eyes. "I love you, too - obviously," she replied.

* * *

"Tori?" Asgore whispered, and she nodded, leaning against his hand, her eyes still closed. "Tori... are you...?" He couldn't say it. He was afraid to say it.

"No," she admitted finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not."

"But..." Asgore's other hand was now on her arm. "But, you just said you didn't trust me..."

"I did not say that," she snapped, her eyes opening. "I said you can't be trusted. But..." Her face softened. "I'm a fool, Gorey. I'm a damned fool. I trust you, still."

Asgore looked away, his voice dried up and his eyes full. Toriel reached up and pulled him back, and he embraced her, unable to help it. He cried, not softly, but with his entire being, and she held him close, her own tears falling free. He knew he didn't deserve this, or her, but she was still holding him, still trusting him. She, herself, was bemused by her own actions, but she couldn't deny the truth: despite it all, she still loved and trusted him.

"Tori," he sobbed, and she nodded, holding him close. "Tori, I love you..."

 _"Whelp,"_ she whispered back affectionately, and he laughed a little, hearing her real answer within the insult.

* * *

"SO," Papyrus said. "YOU'RE THE JUDGE."

"i was," sans agreed. "now that it's all out, i'm pretty sure it's done."

"DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN EXPECT YOU TO NOT VANISH AT INAPPROPRIATE AND INOPPORTUNE TIMES?"

"oh hell no," sans grinned. "that's still happening."

Papyrus sighed. "DAMN. WELL. DOES THIS MEAN YOU'LL ACTUALLY WORK?"

"i'm out of a job, bro," sans replied. "so if anything i'll be around more."

"HM," Papyrus said thoughtfully. "WELL, I SUPPOSE IT COULD BE WORSE."

"how so?"

"YOU COULD STILL BE A SENTRY. IF YOU WERE ONLY DOING A SMALL PERCENT OF YOUR JOB THEN, I SHUDDER AT WHAT YOU'D BE LIKE AT YOUR BEST!"

Though he was being serious, sans laughed for quite some time.


	9. Everytime I Try To Bring It Down

"Hm..."

Toriel smiled, the sound low in Asgore's throat, and Toriel felt it as well as heard it.

"Hm?" she echoed, and in reply he nuzzled closer, which made her laugh.

The setting sun shone through the blinds with its dying glory, lighting up the room as well as those within it. Though clouds promised night showers, nothing would eclipse the happiness felt by the two of them in that room.

"Tori," Asgore murmured softly, and she nodded, resting her cheek on the top of his head, her eyes closing. "Are we....?"

"Yes," she replied immediately. "We're fine, Gorey."

"But--,"

Her eyes opened. "We're fine, Gorey. I'm not being dismissive," Toriel insisted, her voice in lecture-mode. "I'm merely stating it before you can finish asking."

"But..." He didn't mean to fight her on this - especially this - but a small part of him told him he needed to make sure, anyway - just in case. The last thing he wanted was to have misread or misheard anything.

"Dreemurr..." Toriel, as usual, saw right through him. She knew all of his patterns, all of his tricks - and now, his secrets, truly, now. "Do you plan on lying to me again anytime soon?"

"Only if it's about a present," he said at once, and she smiled at that. He was being honest, after all.

"Then why are you worried?"

"Because I'm well aware of the cost," he answered plainly. "And it's a price I'm not willing to pay."

"Then don't lie to me about things, anymore, Asgore. It's as simple as that."

"Is there anything I can do to make up for it, do you think?"

"Yes," Toriel agreed, surprising them both. "Tell me _everything_. All of it."

Asgore looked up at her in his shock. "That's all?"

She nodded. "That's all I need. All I want," she agreed.

So he did, from the very beginning, from when he wasn't even King, as well as well into being one, interrupted only by questions or food breaks.

With each sentence, Toriel understood better just what it meant to be truly a King. She'd been Queen because she fell in love with a Prince, but now she felt as if she truly understood what it _meant_ to be a King - and how hard it was for Asgore at times.

From there, it was so easy to forgive him - if she hadn't already.

* * *

Basket insisted on staying for the entire evening, so she, Nicky, Undyne and Alphys all had supper together in Nicky's hospital room.

"Where are Mam and Pa--,"

"Shh!" Alphys snapped, and Nicky shoved ice cream into her mouth to shut herself up obediently. "They went to dinner with Darian and Dr Thicke."

"Hm." Undyne snorted. "How will they even know the difference?"

"Apparently," Nicky said quickly, blushing at Alphys. "Dr Thicke is pregnant."

Basket shrugged, but Alphys and Undyne jumped in their surprise. "Is that a joke?" Undyne demanded. "Because if so, you're as funny as your dad: not at all."

Nicky scowled. "I'm serious! And Papi _is_ funny!"

"Shh!" Basket laughed, before Alphys could even start to say it. Both Nicky and Alphys scowled at her, which had her beaming and Undyne trying to hide laughter of her own.

"It shouldn't be that big of a deal," Nicky continued, ignoring Alphys's angry look. "I'm sure more and more people are having interracial children."

"Er," Alphys scratched at her cheek. "If so, they've kept it secret, and very well, because no one, except Frisk, has come forward in your lifetime."

"Well, except now," Undyne said. "And maybe now, more will, when the truth finally comes out about everything and we can stop pretending."

She stabbed at her pasta as she spoke, her face a glower. Alphys placed a hand on hers, and her face softened, her eye going to Alphys's, who smiled in return.

"And when it does, what will you do?" Nicky wondered.

"Deal with it," Undyne replied with no hesitation.

"But not alone, love," Alphys added, squeezing her hand, and Undyne nodded.

"Never alone!" Basket agreed, grinning at her mom with her selfsame grin.

"I don't think any of us could function alone," Nicky agreed happily. "I also don't want to test that theory."

"Agreed. I also do not wish to test it," Alphys nodded.

"A theory you don't want to test, Alphy?" Undyne broke in, her eye sparking. "Impossible!"

"Then let's never even try," Basket said.

She caught Nicky's gaze, who smiled at her before winking, which in turn caused her to blush and look away.

"I'll break anyone who tries," Undyne concluded.

* * *

"Congratulations, Athena!" Frisk said in greeting, giving her actual doctor a hug - which had the normally stiff doctor blushing a little.

Asriel shook Darian's hand, his face a scowl, even as they sat down together. "How do I know you're actually who you say you are?" he blurted out, after they had ordered drinks.

Darian blinked slowly at him. "You don't," he said blandly.

"Shut up, honey," Athena said cheerfully. "Don't encourage Asriel, please. He doesn't need an outlet for his paranoia."

 _"Hey,"_ Asriel protested, but Frisk snorted, unable to help it.

"Are you scared, Athena?" asked Frisk between giggles.

Athena shook her head. "No. After seeing you go through it - and seeing Nicky grow up - I'm not worried at all. You make it look easy."

Frisk smiled amiably. "It can be, sometimes," she agreed. "But I won't lie and pretend it's all cupcakes."

"Or dandelion-dandy?" added Darian idly, and Asriel almost kicked him. He'd wanted to say that, and Darian had known it, judging by his grin.

"Truly," Frisk continued, her eyebrows raised. "Sometimes you feel like you're raising _two_ children, depending on the other parent."

 _"Hey!"_ Asriel pouted, and Frisk laughed and started scratching behind one of his ears, instantly calming - and cheering - him up.

It was a wonderful dinner, full of wonderful conversation and shared reminiscing. It went so well that it was after dark when it finally ended.

* * *

 Arm-in-arm, Frisk and Asriel began their walk back to the hospital, to visit their daughter; the stuff of which, over twenty years ago, their deepest dreams were made of.

By now, they'd all grown up, found families... and stayed together through it all. Reality, it turned out, while painful, was all the more sweet.

"My love," said Asriel softly, as Frisk turned to look at him in question. "Tell me what's going on behind your eyes."

She grinned, those eyes lighting up. "Just thinking about us, about now."

"What about us, and now?"

"Well." She looked ahead. "What do we do now? Truly there is no Underground left, anymore, is there?"

"I guess... no, not really," he agreed, hesitating a little at the idea of it.

"That was the last real aspect that kept us all separated - humans and monsters," she continued, her voice soft. "Now, there's no going back. Maybe there never really was."

Asriel squeezed her hand. "And you, would you want to go back?"

Frisk thought about it, long and hard. To not have jumped, to not have managed to survive the Underground, to break down the barriers all in one day...

To have never met her family, the people she loved more than herself...

To have never brought Asriel back home, made a home with him and within him...

To have never had Nickname...

Or the school, the families, the beauty of it all, despite the years upon years of struggle and hardship and pain...

Facing death.

Greeting life.

"Only to do it all over again." Frisk finally admitted, truly meaning it.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... that's it. I really mean it this time. While there is perhaps stuff still going on with "Hell In A Handbasket", right now, as of today (May 26, 2016), Abovetale is finished. There is truly no way for me to continue it the way that it is unless I just go back and tell stories I haven't told yet (and who knows, maybe some of you want that). Believe me, I did not come to this decision lightly, but there it is. That's the only decision I could have made. 
> 
> Thank you, deeply, to those of you who have stuck through with this series through all of the hiccups and bad typing and spelling and plotholes. I adore you and find you more precious than air sometimes, and you keep me writing. If I've left anything out, tell me, and I'll likely write it, because I love any excuse to write. 
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't say it enough.
> 
> Now, I'm off to curl up into a pile of blankets and cry. It was fun! :3


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